Donald Hopkins Mahoney III

On August 19, 2022, Donald “Trey” Hopkins Mahoney III, loving father, son, and brother passed away at age 50. A passionate man, he approached life with curiosity and determination, and always with love. Even as a newborn, to everyone’s amazement, he tried to pull himself out of the hospital crib. He had places to go, people to see, and things to do.

Trey was born in Metairie, Louisiana, and like all transplanted Texans moved to Texas as fast as he could at the age of 6 months. He was first and foremost a family man. His children, son, Gabe, and daughter, Lily were the light of his life. Wendy Browne Mahoney was his partner and wife for many years. Trey was the pride and joy of his parents, Don and Jane Mahoney and big brother to Lauren, Tim and Michael.

In his early years, Trey thrived on Saturday morning science classes at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Later as a young teen, he spent his summer volunteer time cleaning alligator skulls at the museum for display. After college, Trey performed chemistry experiments on Saturdays at HMNS. He thought of HMNS as an extension of his living room. He was an avid reader, consummate learner, and fully committed to Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons.

As a student at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, Trey excelled scholastically, was a member of the track and cross-country team, and played tenor saxophone in the band. He also played the clarinet and guitar and couldn’t get enough of Led Zeppelin, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Pink Floyd.

While at Strake, Trey helped found the Righteous Left, an organization that sponsored Amnesty International. Later, as an attorney, he said his most personally rewarding work was his Pro Bono work for immigration justice.

Trey was counsel with Ramey, LLP. He was registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. A trial and arbitration tested attorney, Trey was highly experienced in all phases of patent litigation, from pre-filing investigation and diligence to appeals before the Federal Circuit.

Trey's technical education began at the University of Texas with a bachelors in biochemistry. He followed that with a master's in biochemistry from the University of Houston where he studied electron transfer mechanisms under Professor Shiao-Chun Tu. With that background he worked as a product specialist in gene array technology at the biotechnology company Sigma-Genosys.

Trey then began his law studies at the University of Houston Law Center, where he made Law Review, attending classes at night while working full time first as a technology licensing assistant at the University of Houston and then as a law clerk at the patent law firm Howrey Simon Arnold White. Upon graduation, Trey accepted a position as an associate attorney at Howrey (later merging with the firm Winston & Strawn) where he handled matters involving biotechnology, genetically modified organisms, electronic consumer products, signal processing, oil and gas drilling equipment, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and other technology areas. He later joined Ramey LLP, where he focused on litigation, transactional patent matters, and prosecution including post grant proceedings.

Trey is survived by his son, Gabe Mahoney and daughter Lily Mahoney, parents, Donald and Jane Mahoney, sister and brother-in-law, Lauren and Robb Flynn, brother and sister-in-law, Tim and Zhen Mahoney, brother Michael Mahoney, and nephews Aidan, Alex, and Patrick Flynn and John Mahoney.

Visitation with the family will be held at Settegast-Kopf Co @ Sugar Creek in Sugar Land, TX September 8, 2022 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A funeral mass will be held at St. Laurence Catholic Church, also in Sugar Land September 9, 2022 at 10:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in Trey’s memory to the Houston Museum of Natural Science or to The Refugee and Immigration Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.settegastkopf.com for the Mahoney family.